Electrical switch.



B. D. HORTON. ELECTRICAL SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1915.

1,230,407. PatentedJgne 19, 1917. I g l 5 P 55 El I Q V I F255 22 H I k Y J "9 55| l FIG! 56 I 1 1 m 15 o" H C 25 5 29 l 1' .28 5 .14 i I0 12 I T \mj INVENTOR. FIGS 25 9 495 451;

A TTORNEY Y useful Improvements in Electrical BRYSON D. HORTON, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Error-moan SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 191?.

Application filed March 24, 1915. Serial No. 16,611.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRYSON D. Honron, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and Switches,

of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings,

is a full, clear, and concise description thereof. Y

My present invention relates more particularly to an improved construction of switch, in which the normally stationary contacts are housed within a metallic housing and the movable cooperating contacts are carried by and form part of a removable plug, suitable provision being made within the housing for the reception of the plug when inserted therein to bring into cooperation the contacts to close the circuit.

The objects of my invention are to provide a new and improved form of fuse and contact-carrying insulating base, an improved form of adjusting device for taking care of variations in the dimensions or size of the insulating base, improved means for removably holding the base within the housing and an improved form of contact-carrying plug and cooperating plug socket whereby cooperation in one position only is permitted in order to prevent the reversal of polarity of the circuit. I

lVith these, and other objects, in view the invention consists in. certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention,

reference is to be had to the following de-' scription and the accompanying drawings, in which, 7

Figure 1 is a view in top plan, the cover of the housing being broken away to show the interior arrangement of the parts and the positionof the removable plug of the switch when in contact-making position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line aa of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line bb of Fig. 2- with the plug removed.

1Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the switch P Fig, 5 is an end view thereof.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the respective views.

The metal housing for the switch mechanism consists of a metallic body portion 1,

having a hinged metal cover 2, the housing and cover being provided with rearwardly extending ears 3 and 4, which are pivoted together at 5. The cover is slotted at 6 for the accommodation of a spring latch 7, which is fastened to, and supported by, the body portion 1. This latch is provided with an extension or swaged-out portion 8, which is adapted to spring into engagement with the cover when the latter is closed to hold it in this position.

The housing is provided with a removable end plate 9, having a cutout portion 10 to accommodate and allow for the insertion or withdrawal of the removable plug part of the switch. This end plate is formed with a plurality of fingers 11, which are stamped and bent from the body of the metal into the form shown so that the plate may be detachably supported by the laterally extending ends 12 of the body of the casing.

13 indicates the contact-carrying insulating base that is removably supported within the housing. This base is made in a two part construction, each part being alike in general form. The base 13 is preferably made of porcelain; Porcelain is apt to vary slightly in general contour and size due to shrinkage in the process of manufacture, and. as it is desirable to rigidly hold this base in position within the housing, I have provided the following adjusting means to take care of any slight variation that may arise. To the side of the casing at 14 I rivet a guide or retaining metal wall piece 15, provided with an integral abutmentor stop 16, and a guide flange 17, all of which is stain ed from a single piece of sheet metal and w ich engages one side, top and rear end of one part of the base to guide and hold it in its proper position. Diametrically opposite and fastened to the opposite wall of the housing by rivet means, 18, I provide a similar wall piece 19, which 1s angularly disposed with respect to the slde wall to which it is fastened, thu's affording an inclination or wedge wall along which a movable base engaging adjusting member may slide and be brought into engagement with the other part of the two part base 13.

. The wall piece 19 is also provided with lat- 13 in proper position.

The adjusting member 20 is provided with a set screw 23 which operates in the slot-24 of the flange 22, and by reason thereof the adjusting member 20 may be brought into positive engagement with the insulating base so that the same may be held firmly in position.

The two part insulating base is provided with a plug socket 25, and mounted within this socket and extending thereinto are the spring contacts 26, which are in electrical connection with fuse clips 27 mounted upon and held rigidly to the base. The connections between the contacts 26 and the fuse clips 27 are made by sheet metal conductors v28 which are fastened to the spring contacts 26 by suitable screws 29, the latter also serving to hold the spring contacts 26 in rigid positionupon the base. Each conductive strip 28 is provided with a right angular extension which is positioned beneath the base of the corresponding fuse clip 27 so that both the fuse clip and the plate are in electrical connection and held so by the screws 23. Y

Cooperating fuse clips 31 are provided,

which are fastened to the base at 32. Binding screws 33 electrically connected to fuse clips 31 are provided for the accommodation of the leads or wires which form part of the circuit.

can only be inserted therein in one position,

that is, with the rectangular portion fitting the rectangular part of the recess.

The plug is indicated by the numeral 35.

- This may be made of any suitable insulating material and is provided with a handle portion 36, a bore 37 being provided therethrough for the accommodation of the conductors 38. The socket-engaging end of the handle is provided with a curved surface 39, complementary to the curved part of the socket 25 and rectangular sides 40, which are complemental to the rectangular part of the socket 25. Contact strips 41 are mounted by means of suitable screws 42 to the par allel flat sides of the rectangular part of the extension and are provided with depending portions 43, which extend downwardly into recesses, which recesses communicate with the bore 37 of the handle portion of the plug. Binding screws 44 serve to fasten the wires of the conductor 38 to the respective contacts 41 as shown. The extremities 45 of the contacts 41 are removed somewhat from the body 40 of the plug, clearance being allowed to provide for a springy action of the contacts when inserted in the plug socket to establish a positive electrical connection between the contacts 41 and 26. It is obvious that, as the plug is inserted in the socket 25, the contacts 41 and 26 engage one another and electrical connection is made. The plug and socket being so formed that it is only possible to bring them into cooperation when in one position, it follows that a change of polarity will be impossible through inadvertence or carelessness in ma nipulation.

I do not desire to limit myself to an insulating base formed of porcelain. It is obvious that other insulating materials may be used. I may also, for instance, employ hard wood, for the plug and when so doing, it is obvious that, owing to the shape of the plug, it may be readily turned out in one chucking, the milling and drilling operations, of course, being separately done. However, the shape of the plug is conducive to cheapness and simplicity in matter of manufacture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an electrical switch, the combination of a metallic housing, a removable contact carrying base, adjustable means for positioning and holding the base therein, said means comprising a wall piece having an inclined surface, a laterally extending flange provided with a slot formed upon said wall piece, an L-shaped member, and a fastening element carried by said member and adapted to cooperate with the slot of said flange, whereby the Lshaped-member may be adjusted relative to the wall piece, so as to rigidly hold the base in position.

2. In an electrical switch, the combination of a metallic housing, a removable contact carrying base, adjustable means for positioning and holding the base therein, said means including a pair of opposing wall pieces, each provided with alining members for limiting the movement of said base, one of said wall pieces having an inclined surface provided with a laterally extending flange having a slot formed therein, and an L-shaped member provided with a fastening elementadapted to cooperate with the slot in said flange, whereby the base member may In itness whereof I have hereunto set my be rigidly held in position. 0 hand in the presence of two subscribing 10 3. In an electrical swith, adjustable Witnesses.

means for retaining a contact-carrying base 5 in operative position, said means comprisin a Wedge shaped adjustable device adapte d Witnesses:

to cooperate with the side of the base to HARRY S. FREEMAN, hold it in rigid position. IGNATIUS W. KAHN.

BR-YSON'D. HORTON. 

